Is it possible to look for another job while on a notice period after being terminated from the job? Let's check it out.

Starting for the new year, a significant change in the UAE's labour laws will influence employees of the private sector – Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations will become effective from February 2, 2022, as the new labour law that administers the private sector.

As a part of the new guidelines, the decree-law gives details about all the rights of the employer as well as of the employee.  when an employee can either leave the job voluntarily or on the other hand if the employer terminates the employee’s contract.

Article 43 of the law, named 'Notice of termination of employment contract', specifies that a notification time of 30 to 90 days should be served, regardless of which of the two parties (employer or employee) chooses to end the work contract. This notification period can be deferred off too on the off chance that the two parties mutually consent to do as such.

One more interesting clause of the article expresses that in the event that the employer is the person who terminates the contract, the employee can take a working day off per week (without pay), to search for other job openings.

Here is a detailed view of what you really want to be familiar with the notification time frame that should be served:

ARTICLE (43) - NOTICE OF TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT CONTRACT

1. Either party to an employment agreement might end the agreement for a decent cause, by giving the other written notification. The employee will perform his duties out of his obligations during the notice period settled upon in the agreement, given that the notification period isn't less than 30 days and not more than 90 days.

2. Employment contract will proceed in force all through the notice period and lapses with the expiry of the notice period. The employee will be entitled to his full salary for such period based on his last wage and shall perform his work if the employer so requests. The parties might agree to waive the notice clause or shorten the notice period, given that the employee holds all his entitlements due for the notice period agreed upon in the employment contract. The notice period shall be equal for both parties unless the same is in the interest of the worker.

3. The party in breach of the notice time span will pay the other a compensation called pay in lieu of notice, whether or not no wickedness results from the failure of caution. The pay will be equivalent to the remuneration of the specialist for the whole notification time frame, or the rest of it.

4. Notice pay will be determined dependent on the last wage got by the employee, for monthly, weekly, daily or hourly paid employers, and based on an average day by day wage referred to herein for piecemeal paid employees.

5. Assuming the business contract is fired by the employer, the employee will be entitled to be absent from work during the notification time frame for the one-working day without pay each week, to look for another job. The employee might assign the day of absence given that the employer is informed at least three days before such day.